Bill Shorten's proposed plan to spend $1.5 billion opening up dirty natural gas drilling in the Galilee and Beetaloo Basins proves that the Labor Party just isn't serious about tackling dangerous climate change and the Greens will use our power in the Senate to block any such move, Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale and Greens Sen. Larissa Waters said.

"We are in the middle of a climate emergency and we can't be opening up any more coal, oil or gas fields if we are going to hand over a sustainable environment to our children and grandchildren," Di Natale said.

More than 24,000 full-time jobs a year would be created in Western Australia under the Greens plan to rapidly transform Australia’s energy system to renewables by 2030.

Greens Leader, Senator Richard Di Natale said:

"Coal is the world’s biggest cause of climate change and Australia is the world’s biggest exporter of coal with 80 per cent of what we dig up being sent overseas to be burned. Unless we phase out coal, we can’t deal with climate change.

The Greens will move to protect Australia’s precious groundwater by extending the ‘water trigger’ to all types of unconventional gas mining as part of the their plan to ban fracking across Australia, mining and resources spokesperson Larissa Waters will announce today.

The Minister for Mining and Resources Matt Canavan has been exposed for lying about any oil from the Great Australian Bight staying in Australia.

“While Matt Canavan has told the public Equinor would keep oil in Australia, the company has denied it. Equinor’s polite rebuke of the Minister’s comments on ABC this morning expose the flimsy spin from the Morrison Government,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Equinor is moving full steam ahead to drill in the Bight and The Greens are fighting to stop them.

“We cannot let this project go ahead. Equinor wants approval within months. The Greens are standing with South Australians to fight this all the way,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The New South Wales Land and Environment Court's landmark decision to reject the Rocky Hill coalmine is a huge win for the community and the environment. The fact that climate change was a key reason cited for this refusal gives me hope for the future.

The Liberal National Government must reject the advice of the self-serving Mining Lobby pushing for changes to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, the Greens say.

“The Environment Minister must stand up for environmental protections, not fall to her mates in the mining industry,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Seismic testing is the first step to drilling in the Great Australian Bight and will have devastating outcomes for SA, the Greens say.

“This is a bad decision - bad for our marine life, bad for Kangaroo Island, and bad for SA. Seismic testing is the first step to drilling in the Bight, and an oil well 90km off Kangaroo Island is a disaster for South Australia,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Labor must decide whether it will stand by environmental protections or roll over to Adani and big oil wanting to drill in the Bight, the Greens say.

“It is dirty fossil fuels or the environment. If Labor is to have a credible environment policy, they need to commit to no new coal, oil and gas, fund environmental protections, stop Adani and protect the Bight,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The strong environmental protections announced by Labor today will fail without proper investment, and a commitment to no new coal, oil and gas.

“We welcome Labor adopting Greens’ policy on stronger protections for the environment, but without proper investment and committing to no new coal, oil and gas they will fail,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.